With spring practice just eight days away, Clemson will begin another journey to get back to the College Football Playoffs.

Last year, the Tigers took on a new identity as it relied heavily on the running game. With running backs Tavien Feaster and Travis Etienne and quarterback Kelly Bryant, Clemson had three players rush for at least 665 yards.

As a team, the Tigers rushed for 194.1 yards per game and for a school-record 40 touchdowns.

How much will Clemson rely on the running game this year? Also, how much better will Etienne and Feaster be? Will both be able to go over 1,000 yards in 2018.

As a true freshman, Etienne averaged 7.2 yards per carry last fall and also led the Tigers with 766 yards overall, despite playing in one less game. He also had a team-high 13 touchdowns.

The Jennings, La., product not only showed off his speed, but he also showed off his power as he broke several long runs by plowing through would-be-tacklers. Despite his 5-foot-10, 200-pound frame, Etienne has no issue lowering his head and getting that tough yard near the goal line or in short yardage situations.

His combination of both speed and power makes him one of the more dynamic running backs Clemson has had since the days of Terry Allen and Wesley McFadden in the late 1980s and early ‘90s.

Speaking of Allen and McFadden, Feaster gives the Tigers another home run hitter.

Tavien Feaster breaks free for an 89-yard touchdown at NC State on Nov. 4, 2017. Above picture shows Travis Etienne running for a 28-yard touchdown against Florida State on Nov. 11, 2017.

Feaster, like Etienne, also has that rare combination of speed and power. The rising junior displayed both in wins over Louisville, when he averaged 9.2 yards per carry, and NC State, when he broke off the season’s longest run from scrimmage with an 89-yard touchdown in which he split the safeties and was never touched.

The Spartanburg native, who started 11 of the 14 games, finished second behind Etienne in rushing yards with 669. He also was second in per carry average at 6.3 yards per carry and was third in rushing touchdowns with seven.

Feaster also had a 60-yard touchdown reception in the Tigers win at Virginia Tech, and finished the season with 12 overall.

It will be interesting to see how Clemson attacks the ground game this year. Etienne and Feaster had just 107 carries each in 2017 so you can only imagine how well they will do with a few more touches per game to go along with all the experience and knowledge they gained.

We will get an idea of what the Tigers want do when spring practices begin on Feb. 28.